Lavardin IS Reference

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Current system

Apr 2006 system

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RN's System

System Configuration - Apr 2006
CD Player	Musical Fidelity A3.2 CD Player
Amplifier	Lavardin Technologies Model IS Reference
Speakers	Harbeth Compact 7ES-2
Cables	Hisago speaker cables, Audience AU24 interconnects
Music Genre	Pop, Rock, Jazz, Vocals, Classical

Just What The Doctor Ordered

After several months of auditioning various amplifiers, we are glad that RN and his better half have finally found the amplifier that gives justice to their Harbeth loudspeakers, by a large margin compared to the rest they've tried - the Lavardin IS Reference integrated amplifier, the one that moved RN. The music has finally arrived.

The Lavardin's tonal purity reminds us of good SET amps, without the tubes, and it was evident in this system. In addition, it easily drove the Harbeths to a full-bodied and properly balanced sound, with superb bass that put to shame other amps with over 100 watts that RN had tried. One would think that the Harbeths were floorstanders. Speed and timing were also spot on, and RN can finally listen to his fast and complex music without feeling the instruments lagging behind the music, and making him sick.

From Tsai Ching, Count Basie, Dire Straits, Doug MacLeod, Janis Ian, etc., RN and his better half found the system to be totally transformed with the introduction of the Lavardin IS Reference.

The music highlight of the night was a song from Taiwanese songbird Christine Hsu. Singing accapella (without instruments), with a backing chrous of male and female accapella vocals, the song was one of the best accapella performances we've heard. There was a minimum of the usual basso backup vocals; instead, the backing vocals uncannily managed to sound like string instruments. Brilliant !

The best thing is that it sounded glorious. RN and his better half bought the CD mainly for the music and previously found the CD sonics to be average. The sonics have now been elevated to new heights with the Lavardin IS Reference in the system.

Welcome to the Lavardin quality, RN, pound for pound genuine high-end. Enjoy.

Incidentally, speaking of Harbeth and Lavardin, we will have more Harbeth owners pairing up with a Lavardin amplifier. The Usher speakers in our customer TKP's system, for example, have already been replaced with a Harbeth HL-5 after hearing them with Lavardins at a USA hifi show (no photos yet, photos still show Reference 3A speakers).